Poinsettia plant named ‘PER14606’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER14606’, characterized by its uniform, upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; green and pale yellow variegated leaves; mid-season flowering response; large inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER14606’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘PER14606’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckakeem’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,838. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Eckakeem’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom in August, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. since June, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘PER14606’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PER14606’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1.. Uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Green and pale yellow variegated leaves.     -   5. Mid-season flowering response; under natural season         conditions, plants flower in about nine weeks in Southern         California.     -   6. Large inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.     -   7. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the parent, ‘Eckakeem’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         ‘Eckakeem’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Poinsettia were green and pale         yellow variegated whereas leaves of plants of ‘Eckakeem’ were         dark green in color.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckansley’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,889. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘Eckansley’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more vigorous than and not         as compact as plants of ‘Eckansley’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Eckansley’.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had stronger lateral branches         than plants of ‘Eckansley’.     -   4. The leaf variegation contrast of plants of the new Poinsettia         was greater than the leaf variegation contrast of plants of         ‘Eckansley’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER14606’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER14606’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following description describe plants grown in during the winter in 15-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. and under natural season conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C., night averaged 17° C. and light levels were about 4,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were 18 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER14606’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia     pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckakeem’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     13,838. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven to ten days at 20° C.             night temperature.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C. night temperature.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Uniform, upright and mounded plant             habit; narrow inverted triangle; large inflorescences             positioned above the foliar plane; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 27.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 49 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about seven to eight lateral branches develop after             pinching. Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 2.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Aspect:             Flat. Length: About 10.8 cm. Width: About 7.6 cm. Shape:             Elliptical with three shallow irregular lobes. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire with three             shallow irregular lobes. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate.             Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface:             Centers, close to 148A; towards the margins, irregular             sectors, close to 6D. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Centers, close to 147B; towards the margins, irregular             sectors, close to 4C to 4D. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Centers, close to 148A and 147C; towards the             margins, irregular sectors, close to 4C to 4D; venation,             close to 185B to 185C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:             Centers, close to 147B; towards the margins, irregular             sectors, close to 4C to 4D; venation, close to 185C.             Petiole: Length: About 7.5 cm to 8.5 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 187C. Color, lower surface: Close to 187D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane.         -   Quantity of inflorescence.—One inflorescence develops per             lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Southern California; inflorescence             initiation and development can also be induced under             artificial long nyctoperiod/short photoperiod conditions;             mid-season flowering habit, plants flower about nine weeks             when grown under natural season conditions in Southern             California.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and             flower bract color for about four weeks under interior             conditions; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 30 cm. Height (depth):             About 7 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24. Length,             largest bracts: About 12.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             8.8 cm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire; outer bracts, somewhat irregular. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect: Flat to             slightly upright; apices of outer bracts slightly droopy.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing or             transitional bracts, upper surface: Centers, close to 147B;             margins, close to 47A. Developing or transitional bracts,             lower surface: Centers, close to 147B; towards the margins,             close to 59D. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to             53C; venation, close to 53C; color does not fade with             development. Fully expanded bracts, lower surface: More grey             than 59D; venation, more grey than 59D; color does not fade             with development. Bract petiole: Length: About 4.3 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             53B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About eleven or twelve.             Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color,             immature and mature: Close to 145A.         -   Nectaries.—Quantity per cyathium: One. Length: About 5 mm.             Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical to ovoid. Color: Close             to 14B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             eight. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             46A. Anther shape: Oval; bi-lobed. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 59A. Amount of pollen: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 7A. Pistils: Plants of the new             Poinsettia do not develop pistils. Seed/fruit: Seed and             fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 15.5° C. to     about 29° C. 

1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘PER14606’ as illustrated and described. 